April 8, 2025 – Each year, Innova Market Insights uses consumer trends research and product launch data to issue a prediction for 10 trends that will influence the food and beverage industry in the coming year. Innova’s #2 Trend for 2025, Precision Wellness, discusses the importance of individual nutrition needs and products tailored to those needs. The various factors that make up precision wellness include nutrition for different lifestyles, nutrition for health needs, and nutrition that is based age and gender.
Personalized Nutrition Drives Health
Personalized nutrition that is based on an individual’s health needs drives health and wellness. Indeed, over half of consumers surveyed as part of consumer trends research believe that customized nutrition plans are the most effective. Looking at supplement users, seven in 10 of those surveyed want supplement that are tailored to their needs.
Targeted Nutrition Strategies
Nutrition strategies can be structured in a number of different ways. Consumer trends research conducted by Innova shows that balanced nutrition is the top strategy for consumers globally. Other strategies utilized by consumers are age-specific nutrition and nutrition approaches that are gender-specific, lifestyle-based, condition-specific or focused on performance nutrition.
Innova sees opportunities for developing targeted nutrition products since consumer desire is greater than purchasing. The biggest gaps between desire and purchase are for lifestyle-based and performance nutrition. Condition-specific nutrition also offers product development opportunities.
Targeted nutrition can be delivered through regular food and drink, which is the format consumers prefer, supplements, nutrition-fortified food, and nutrition-fortified beverages.
Nutrition and Lifestyle
Consumers often plan their diet around their lifestyle. This includes their day-to-day schedule, as well as lifestyle decisions to support the environment, consider health, and eat less animal proteins. Some lifestyles are dictated by religion, for example, vegetarianism among Hindus and Halal among Muslims. Exercise also is a lifestyle factor that affects personal diet.
Personal Health + Planetary Health
Consumers globally say in market research surveys that they live in a healthful way in part to ensure planetary health. Others associate sustainability and kindness to the planet with healthy food and beverage products. Innova is tracking a rise in new product launches with ethical claims regarding the environment and wildlife, as well as palm oil-free claims.
Health from Plant-Based
When consumers were asked what drives their eating of plant-based products, their top answer was health, followed by variety and positive impact on the planet. Consumers globally also say that plant-based products could be improved with better taste and nutrition.
Launches of food and beverage products with plant-based claims continue to rise and reflect growth of plant-based into a broader number of categories beyond the classic meat substitutes and dairy alternatives. Within meat substitutes and dairy alternatives, plant-based is diversifying into fish, poultry, whole cuts of red meat, and cheese.
Performance Nutrition is Part of Health
Healthy lifestyles incorporate both everyday physical activity and dedicated exercise. In fact, close to half of consumers participating in global consumer trends research say that exercise helps them live more healthily. Even more consumers equate being physically fit and energetic with feeling well.
Innova is monitoring a move in new product development toward performance nutrition products in mainstream markets. This is being driven by increased launches in ready-to-drink sports drinks, energy drinks, and sports bars.
Precision Wellness and Key Health Issues
In global consumer trends research, consumers show a diverse range in health issues that are most important to them. Weight management and heart health top the list of physical health concerns and stress and anxiety head the list of mental health concerns.
Innova sees opportunities for manufacturers in the gaps between concern about a condition and purchase of products targeted to that condition. The opportunity gaps are widest for heart health and stress and anxiety, followed by healthy aging, brain health and weight management. Consumers want even more product choices to aid in weight control. Products offer and need to offer benefits for more than one condition to capture consumer attention. Benefits such as heart health, brain health, and energy can be combined. Also, natural ingredients may appeal to consumers globally.
Science Supports Personalized Nutrition
Science offers tools for personalized nutrition. These can include fecal samples to evaluate gut health and blood samples to determine needed nutrients. Watch for increased use of AI to interpret medical tests and link them to nutrition needs.
Weight management science is advancing rapidly. GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight management are opening the door to product innovation. Products positioned for weight management today emphasize sugar reduction over fat control or calorie control, but potential exists for supplements and packaged foods in many areas related to GLP-1 claims.
High Interest in Healthy Aging
Healthy aging physically and mentally is very or extremely important to a solid majority of consumers globally. While exercise and sleep are important tools, diet also is extremely important. Consumer trends research show that consumers are looking for a balanced diet, nutritionally rich choices, weight management, and supplements to help with aging.
Low numbers of food and beverage products for aging are being launched. However, Innova is tracking emerging claims for the benefits of certain natural nutrients. The company also sees beauty products as an area of interest related to aging, especially of the skin.
Supplements for healthy aging target skin health and mental acuity more than other benefits and show solid launch growth.
Interest in Women’s Health
Women’s health products are emerging and growing among products with gender-specific nutrition benefits. Food and beverage launches tracked by Innova Market Insights include teas and sports nutrition. Launches of supplements for women are growing more rap
In the food and beverage arena, teas with female health benefits are a niche area of interest, while the sports nutrition market – once very much the domain of male customers – is continuing to expand into the feminine arena.
In supplements, growth of women’s health products is stronger than growth of supplements for men, with menopause as a particular area of interest.
This article is based on Innova’s Top Trends 2025: Trend #2 – Precision Wellness – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
